The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital
library, Documenting the American South.

Languages used in the text:
English

Revision history:

2005-10-27, Brian Dietz finished TEI/XML encoding.

Source(s):

Title of collection: Gustavus A. Henry Papers (#1431), Southern Historical Collection, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Title of document: Letter from James Lee, Jr. to Major G. A. Henry, October 20, 1850

Author: James Lee Jr

Description: 4 pages, 4 page images

Note:
Call number 1431 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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Your kind letter of the 6th inst came to hand and its heartfelt contents carefully perused. I see expressed in
every line a deep and abiding interest in my present wellfare and future prosperity and happiness
for which I return you my sincere thanks and gratitude. You wrote me principaly concerning my
health which at the time I wrote the letter you saw was very bad indeed, but now I am in robust
health and the finest spirits you ever saw. The course you advised me to adopt I took in hand
before you wrote me and which too was the principle cause of my restoration. The cause of my ill
health was confinement. When I joined the college I was deficient on every thing and in
consequence of which I was at first rejected, being informed of my rejection I did not know what
step to pursue, I disliked to return home and I thought it would be a bad chance to get in any
other institution so you may judge how I felt far from home, in the midst of strangers and not
being able to get in college. A thousand thoughts in a

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moment presented themselves to my consideration, and finily I arose from my meditation
and straight way I went to our president Gov Swain and told him I had come from Tennessee to join this institution and I was going to do so if they would
only give me a half a chance and all I asked was to let me enter on probation until I could make
up my deficiencies, he consented, and immediately I let all hotts go and rolled into hard study to
keep up with my class and also to make up my deficiencies. The first two weeks I studied until two
oclock at night and never laid down before one no how and was compelled to rise at half after four
to prayers, at the end of two week I was perfectly exhausted and my health began to decline. I
ceased to study so incessantly but it did not effect my health in the least and finily every thing
rifused to lay on my stomac as I would throw my meals up before I would get ten steps from my
boarding house. I would not write to Pa & Ma because I knew they would be uneasy about me when it would do no good
whatever, but finily I concluded I had better write as it was wrong to keep such serious things
from ones parents. I saw my critical situation and concluded it was perfect folly for me to wear
myself out in pursuit of an education and after having obtained it to go home with a shattered
constitution to lay down and die with this view of the matter I ceased studying and from that time
I commenced improving and now my coatwont meet

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on me, having resumed by studies I am now marching up the fair hill of
science like some proud stemer up the mighty bosom of the father of waters, and will never rest
satisfied until I shall have climbed the last round of the ladder of fame and can stand upon the
topmost pinnicle of human glory. As the ten oclock bell is ringing I shall take your advice and
retire

Sunday morning October the 21st/50

I suppose you would like to learn some of the particulars of the University of North Carolina as you are of a literary character some
what. In the first place it is situated upon the top of the highest situation in the whole cuntry
in the midst of a delightful grove and too as is the characteristic of North Carolina upon the poorest land in creation Stewart County not excepted. The vicinity is so poor that when a man dies they are compelled to maneuvre his grave to enable him to arise in the judgement day. The
institution is of long standing and extensive character it was founded in the year 1787 and
received the name of University in 1816 and can without transcending the bounds of reason or
varacity boast of having sent out a greater number of prominent men than any institution in the United States. Our faculty is the best that can be had any where and to show
you a test of our old institution. A young man came here from Cambrige to join college (he left there on account of his ill health) he
left the Junior class there and

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was compelled to make up some studies before he could enter here. The faculty is as
tyranicle as they are smart for in the beginning of the session we had about two hundred and fifty
students we have only two hundred now the rest have been sent off or quit on their own accord. The
rules are very rigid indeed for if a student misses recitation even once when he is sick he must
make it up before he can get a diploma and many other things too tedious to mention. You say also
give your respects to young T. G. Martin who I am sorry to tell you has left and gone home he talked
like he was going to your institution at Clarkesville but he was not certain. If you see Mr Roberts or Mrs Belden or both give them my respects and tell them I am yet in the land
of the living. My respects to R. W. Humphreys and Mr & Mrs Shackleford. If you see Pa any time traveling up or down the river tell him I am well, well
satisfied, and in fine spirits. News we dont keep the artickle here and never have any unless sent
after by order. We had some rain yesterday for the first time upwards of two months.

Give my highest regard to all your family and finely accept for yourself the warmest thanks and
since friendship of